The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-06
SIGHTLEsS CADETS.
How Blind Boys Marched and Went Through
the Manual of Arms.

Philadelphia Press
Sixty boys in military uniform, whose sight
less eyes were blind to the sunlight which
trickled through the leaves of the trees above
their heads. and who could not recognize the
faces of ne friends and kinsman who
rounded them. marched and drilled yesterday in
the grounds of the Pennsylvania Institution for
the Instruction of the Blind with the precision
of veterans.
The drilling of the cadets is feature of this
institution, and it is original feature to
which there is none similar in this country.
The patience, the study and time spent upon
this branch OF instruction presents reward In
the improved bearing of the little soldiers. and
in the health which the exercise gives them.
When the cadets marched from the gymnasi-
UNI to the play ground it was almost impossible
to believe the miniature militiamen were blind.
Their shoulders were squared their heads erect.
and their step was firm and regular. The muz-
zles of their muskets made an unwavering line
of light and the red stripes on their blue trouser
legs rose and fell with the regularity of ma
chine. 1t was the final full-dress drill OF the
cadets, and all of their friends and relations
and the friends of the institution were gathered
around the walls of the playground.
But the applause which saluted the cadets as
they filed past was the only knowledg GO they had
of the near presence of hundreds of spectators.
The left hand of each boy rested, as he marched
on the left shoulder of the one preceding him.
The first boy in each company could see.
Commandant Maj. Harry w King directed the
battalion to ground arms, and at the word every
gun touched the ground at the same moment.
The cadets separated and stood at two yards
distance Then at the spoken command they
went through q calisthenic drill. clappng their
hands. raising their arms and swinging them
like so many automatons worked by the same
piece of mechanism.
1t was only when the bows bent over to touch
the ground with their finger tips that there was
any irreguarity; then the difference in height of
the cadets made it impossible for the long
limbed boys to recover themselves quickly as
did their younger comrades The guns were
picked up and the command was given, '.Twos
threes and tours, forward" The ranks broke
and there was scattered movement to the right
the right hands and of the cadets held
their muskets firm, and the left hands moved
anxously in search of a companions shoulder.
By some instinct finer than sight itself, the
moment the wandering fingers of q cadet touched
the person of d comrade he seemed to know in
stantly that it was the man he sought
In a few seconds the battalion formed in
close ranks of two. AS the ranks marched and
countermarched. broke and reformed, the other
inmates of the institutions sat and stood in
groups around the walls, guessing from the
words of command what their companions were
doing. Among them was large. heavily built
man, who sat with one hand over his sightless
eyes, and with the other clasped in both of those
of little girl. She called him father, and,
the drill went on. told him as graphically as
child could what her black. pretty eyes saw be-
fore her, and how and what the cadets were de-
ing
At the conclusion of the drill acting Principal
Frank Battles called from the ranks those of